Episode 4: Risk, Grit & The American Dream

Success rarely comes from a single moment. More often, it is built through years of hard work, rejection, and the courage to keep going. In this episode, we sit down with Raul De La Torre, owner and CEO of ServiceMaster Rapid Response who knows that journey well. His story is one of determination, opportunity, and the willingness to start wherever you have to in order to build something better.
This conversation explores the risks people take, the setbacks they face, and the persistence it takes to keep moving forward.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

We're here to talk about what risk really means. Not in theory, not on paper, but in the choices real people make when the stakes are real and the outcome isn't guaranteed. Risk shows up in silence, urgency, loyalty, fear, and hope. It shapes what we build, what we protect, and what we're willing to fight for. It's not just personal, it's deeply connected. Every calculated risk leaves a mark, and the ripple it creates doesn't just touch one life, it echoes through families, businesses, and entire communities. This podcast is about those echoes, the ones that remind us that we're not alone in the decisions we make or the weight we carry. Well, welcome to the Calculated Collective. Raul, we're uh we're so glad to be here today and um partake in this conversation with you. Um we are with Raul DeLatora of Servicemaster Rapid Response. And um, you know, we've kind of shared with you a little bit about what we're doing with our with our podcast, and that is talking about this idea of risk and uh taking risk and what kind of impact it has on you and your business and the things that you do uh in your life and in the in your community. You've had a a very interesting uh story in terms of your business and the idea of taking risks. Share with us a little bit about the the the history and and where you've uh where you started and and where where you're at today.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah, no, thank you for having me. Um yeah, it's a long story, you know. Um, so um my background is um I was uh born in Mexico. Uh my dad brought me and my brothers to the US when I was 16 years old. So um went to school um and uh but got to find a job right away and and and things like that. So I started working actually for serve for service master as a part-time employee. Actually, I was a temporary employee because they had a large fire loss and they needed extra help. So they brought uh uh additional help to uh help with the project, and I was one of them. And um that kind of got me started. I kind of enjoyed the idea of um kind of helping people in uh in times of need, you know, when your home gets distracted by water or fire. Um it can be very challenging. You don't realize like how that affects your life. Like it just kind of turns your life upside down in uh in a matter of hours. And I really enjoy like being able to go to job sites and uh just make a difference.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Um, so I kind of knew right away that I kind of basically enjoyed doing it and I knew that I want to do it. So I kind of started um uh basically working on it, kind of learning more about it. And uh I was offered full-time after that. Um uh so I became a water uh mitigation technician for a company. I was a service master at in Topeka, Kansas, and um kind of made my way out there um to uh be a uh production manager, then I went to work for another company. Um I was let go because my uh I I bought a uh piece of equipment that I found for sale. Um that um it was used in water damage restoration and carpet cleaning, and my boss saw me as a competitor, so I was let go because of that.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

So I was um So you had this uh entrepreneurial spirit very early on.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

I had it from yeah, I was uh you know, I was the kid that I was always looking for ways to make extra money and things like that. So I felt like it was kind of inside of me all the time.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

So you you went uh you found this piece of equipment on sale and you're like, hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this on the side.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Well no, it was more like it was kind of like a good deal to to kind of pass it because it was like on a like it was mounted on a truck, it was in a yonkyard, and uh like I knew what it was worth and I was like, well, I got some savings, you know, I can probably fix it up and I can even sell it to my boss because it was you know, it was so I knew what it was worth and I got it up at a very good price, but um obviously I didn't communicate that very well to him and he didn't took it the the right way, so uh so I was let go because of that reason of his master.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

So instead of embracing this idea of you and your your your entrepreneurial spirit, he saw you as the competition and he said, Yeah, see you later. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We don't yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

So um so went to work for another company, I was hired within three days, you know. I had a lot of experience in the field, and I was hired uh right away. And but I always had that that I kind of wanted to be a business owner. I was kind of kicking out the idea, and then I look at a lot of the the front options, you know. Um Service Master is uh franchise, so I thought about well, I can probably do this myself, or I can do it uh franchise way, and I was like, well, you know, I really like this company and I kind of like what I've done in the past years. I'm like, no, I think I like to go back to it. I applied uh for a franchise license um probably four times, and I was declined four times. And uh they ordered it to me on the fifth time, probably because I was very persistent. Um every time that I apply, they will send me this re reaction letter, and they were kind of explaining why they were rejecting me. And bottom line is that I didn't have the finances to own a franchise at that point. So so every time that I got that uh rejection, I was like, okay, so this is what I need to do. And so I picked some things and worked on them and applied again. And then the next time the rejection was based on something different, so I kind of got got to work on that until they're basically got tired of me applying, I guess, and they finally said, Hey, um, we got a territory in Southwest Kansas, there's no franchise out there. There there hasn't been one for terror for 10 years. Do you want to go out there and try it out? Like, okay, I you know, I'll do that. I came to South to Southwest, Kansas for the first time, and um, you know, very small towns and and very different. I'm like, okay, well, you know, I'm I I mean I am here to do a business, so that's what I'm gonna focus on. And uh at that time, my daughter was my first daughter was only six months old. Um and uh so how long ago was this about? This was back in 2008, so it's been 18, almost 18 years now. And um talking about taking risks, you know, uh we had to sell our home so we can afford to buy a franchise license and uh having our uh daughter that was only six months old and uh moving to the other side of the state without any security, really. Because it was just me and my experience and and uh backup of my family. But um to me that was the my biggest risk I I I ever took. Um and uh um so we ended up doing it. You know, I talked to my wife, she's like, yeah, let's just uh I mean I'll wake you up. Let's let's do it. So we bought the license and uh we moved. We had no business, we had no, I had a truck, a service truck that I bought with a few pieces of equipment on the back, and we moved, we rented a house and uh went from there. No physical location. No physical location. You're out knocking on doors, move. Our garage was our office, and I'll park the truck there. Um, no physical location. So we just kind of hit hit the streets and and and start basically meeting with people and and offering our services. Um I remember a couple of people telling me, I'm like, this is 2008. It's kind of crazy to start up a business in 2008. Yeah, the economy wasn't a good thing. The economy wasn't doing very good really. No, it was like the worst year to start a business ever. But uh, I mean, I I always that that entrepreneur spirit inside of me kind of make me feel like I can do it.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

And so uh I want to go back to something you said earlier. You you talked about how it took five times before they gave you the franchise. What was your mindset like? It was it was you were taking a risk even applying for the franchise, right? And then you get rejected, but then you would get rejected three more times. Did it feel like the goalposts was being moved on you? And and how was your mindset affected then? And and and obviously it didn't deter you, but what was that what was that time like? How many years was that? How many years was that that took?

SPEAKER_01 9:17

It was uh approximately four years of applying and being denied. Um there was times like after the like the first time was probably the easiest because I was like, okay, you know, is it like it is my first time applying, I am muted this, so easy, you know. I this is what I need to work on. The second time got a little harder because, like, okay, so you told me to work on this, and I kind of got that. So you're you are rejecting me again. Okay, well, I'll work on that. The third time I was just like, you know what? Okay, I I I think I just need to do some something else. This is just not gonna work, or look for other options. But then I think inside of me is like, well, what if just kind of give it another chance? You know, we kind of made a lot of changes since the first time, so let's just give it a try again and tried it again, and uh got got rejected again. So um I was kind of shut down for a couple three months after that. I was just like, Yeah, did you did you think about just giving up on this? Oh, I did many times, yeah. Many times, but then um I just always ended up kind of going back to it because to me it was like I didn't want to be defeated. To me, that was a defeat, and I'm like, I that's what I want to do, and I'm just gonna continue pushing for it. I was very determined that that's what I want to do.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Yeah. And so fast forward to today, and um uh yeah, we're we're in your beautiful headquarters here in in Dodge City, and you've you've got uh five different locations. You're serving two regions of the state, right? The Northeast region, southwest region. We basically cover three quarters of the state. Yeah, because you probably do all of Western Kansas. Yeah, I'm guessing. And so now you have uh you you mentioned to me earlier before we started recording, about a hundred employees. So this started with you, one truck, one machine, and door knocking. Yeah, and it's now a hundred employees. Correct. How have you felt through this journey to think about where you're at today? And it's it's difficult, I know at times to think about where you're at and where you began because the day-to-day business keeps you kind of focused on on doing that. But when you think about this and you think about that particular risk that you you took to to accept this particular franchise opportunity, uh how does that make you how does that make you feel? What do you what do you what do you think about it now?

SPEAKER_01 11:47

You know, um it really doesn't make me feel any different. Um I enjoy what I do, I try to make it more e enjoyable every day. I look for ways to um have fun with what I do. Um and um there was a transition point there. Like when when you start some something out and you kind of make it your own and you work very hard for it, and then you start adding people to that world, and you have to let go of certain things, it's very uncomfortable. Um and um, but you kind of have to grow through the process and um a lot of learning, a lot of mistakes made. Um so I don't regret any of it. Um, but um it's definitely a process you have to definitely be able to adopt.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

And and I'm thinking about your your story a little bit. I mean, you were kind of I mean, risk was a real part of your whole life because your father made a decision to leave kind of where you were born, where he was born, right? And and come to the United States. Talk a little bit about that. What was the what was his motivation? Um, and as a teenager, how did that make you feel as you were making that transition into the United States? Was it easy, hard? What was the what was your thought process and what was his thought process?

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Yeah. Well, um, you know, so my dad left Mexico when I was nine months old. Okay. So um I kind of grew with my mom. My dad was kind of there for uh a month or so every year. Um very challenging, you know, because I kind of grew without dad. Uh I had a great mom, and then but then I had my my grandpa, he was my kind of my parent if uh figure there when my dad wasn't. Um so that kind of helped me out a lot. Um, you know, he taught me a lot of uh lessons, he he he gave me a lot of good values. Uh he showed me his work ethic um that I still carry to this day. Um and my dad's more uh motivation to do it was basically because he wanted a better life for his family. You know, um he he wanted to give us some something better, and it took him um 15 years to just just to get us here um through the legal process that he went to. And um so um huge risk there too. Yeah. Uh uh, you know, it wasn't easy. And then I think that you show up to a uh place where um everything is completely new to you, you don't speak the the language, you don't know anybody, um, you don't know how anything works. Um huge learning process and uh and um but you just have to basically uh uh adapt to the changes.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

And so what um I mean really when we look back at it, the the idea of risk and taking risks was instilled in you at a very young age. That you know, because I think what what when I what I'm hearing you say when you talk about the work ethic, you know, you you had the the the the the work ethic, but it took a there was a risk that was required, right? Yes, as a part of that work ethic, right? To to do that. Um so what was the conversation like when you're with your wife when you came home that day and you know, you or maybe you were there and you were saying, so Southwest Kansas, I think we're going to Southwest Kansas. What was uh how you know, I mean, she's got to take the risk right alongside of you, right? And what was her experience like and how did that how did that uh feel to her?

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Yeah, it wasn't easy, you know, even though my wife is very supportive, she's always been very supportive or uh of uh what I do. Um, but um, yeah, I mean, imagine that you come home one day and say, hey honey, we're gonna sell the house. Uh we're gonna put it all into your business that it doesn't exist, and uh we're gonna move four and a half hours away. And we're we don't know anybody. So um yeah, uh it was more than one calm conversation, but at the end, she's like, you know, um I mean I trust you, so it's if this is what you want, I know how hard you have uh basically worked for it. So uh let's do it. Yeah. And um so and it's still to these days, she's my backbone, she's my support. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

But you said something there that I think is really important in the idea of risk and everything else, and that's trust, right? I mean, she trusted you, you trusted her. And without that as sort of a core philosophy, it makes taking risk a little difficult, right? I mean, it if there hadn't been that trust there, taking this risk would have felt a lot differently, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:05

It you know, and uh it also makes the the risk feel heavier. Because there are types of risks that you kind of take on your own, and if if anything goes wrong, it's kind of on yourself, you're gonna pay the consequences. But when you drive your family uh along, then the weight becomes heavier.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

Speak to that a little bit and and how you dealt with that and you know what that what that felt like, what that was like, especially in those early days when you just moved here and you're trying to get this thing off the ground. What was it like?

SPEAKER_01 17:40

You know, I I use it as a motivation to not fail. Because I I I did not want to fail my family. So um that was uh I think that was the field that it kind of pushed me to uh go the extra mile and and and and do the things.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Did it also um give you the sense that you know what, I'm not gonna worry about what people think about what I'm doing or how I'm doing it. I'm just gonna go. Was that a part of it too?

SPEAKER_01 18:12

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I had to do that because um people tell you a lot of things, you know, uh, and most of them are negative. I remember when I got here at Dutch CD, I met a couple people and they're like, oh, so you're here to run a business, what are you doing? And I was kind of selling myself in the business and explaining people our services and what we do. And I remember a couple times um a couple people told me, hey, uh, you know, um, this is a very small town. Maybe what you have in mind is not gonna work here. Maybe you just need to find a job to support your family. And um I mean, at that point you're like, Well, you may be right, you know, makes you uh kind of rethink and and and uh uh but again it was just like hey, uh I I think I want to pursue these and I'm gonna keep pushing for it because of the same reason, you know, it it's um I put everything into it. So and I did not want to fail my family.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

So who was your first? Do you remember the first client? Do you remember the first job that you got here in that city?

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yeah, um, so that is a very interesting story, actually. There's a little story behind that. Um so our very first client um was actually out in Garden City, and um it was um I got a call from our VDC from Service Master Home Office and say, hey, there's a construction company looking for post-construction cleaning services in in Garden City for a Sams Club. They're opening a new store and they want to get it cleaned up before they open it up for business. So went out there and uh met with the superintendent and he's like, hey, when can you start? I mean, he met me at the door and said, I need to get this cleaned, basically, like I like give me some personal, just get on it here. So I was like, so I was like, well, I mean, very excited, and I got my first job, and great. Um, but I had no help, um, very little equipment, and a very sizable project in front of me, and uh very short dateline that they they that that we need to have it done by. So came back to the house and I saw my wife, I said, Hey, guess what? We are first shop, but we got to clean the Samska store. She's like, Well, um, let's just do it. So her and I went and bought supplies. We bought cleaning supplies, um, and uh we kind of planned it all out, got some equipment. We posted that we were needing help, um, got some temporary help. And um, I still laugh uh about this with my wife because it was the very first day, and uh we had like four girls that came to help us on a temporary basis, and uh um at lunchtime they left us. They didn't come back from lunch, so I still blame it on my wife. I was like, what do you do to these girls? Because they never came back, they never came back to work. Um, so um, so there we were on day one uh with the huge project, and our help that we got was gone. So uh we managed to get some more help and uh uh we did manage to um hit the the the the the timeline for the contractor and uh we got the whole store kind of cleaned up. We worked some long hours, my uh my wife and I. Um, so that was our first project. I will never forget about that project.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Wow. What a story. I mean, the you the first the first project you get is a big one. Yeah. You know, it's not like just uh you know something in somebody's house. I mean, this is a big commercial building. Yeah, wow, that's interesting. Um, so what would you say is the is the biggest um you know the the biggest risk that you took along along the way in this journey is is there one thing that you can point to that you know like this was the the defining moment that that really you know kind of s sets this whole thing up yeah yeah I think uh that was definitely when uh we had to make a decision of whether you know kind of stay where we were at you know I had a stable job I had a good good position and uh you know we owned our home and um our daughter was little and you know we we had a little bit of safety there we were fine um and then deciding to kind of give all of that out for a dream that was that was my biggest risk though definitely your kids you you mentioned your kids a little bit and um you know has has this idea of of uh entrepreneurial spirit the idea of taking risks the the willingness to pursue a dream in the in the face of what could be uh a real tough road do they do they have that in them and do you see that in their in who they are I do see it especially on my daughter um I do see it on all in her but I'm trying to kind of stay away from her decisions I don't want to persuade her one way or another but I think uh yeah I do see that a little bit in her do you think that's important for her to be able to make those decisions uh you know with without you know kind of being in that influential area so that she can kind of suss it out like you did? Yeah I think so I mean I I I I think it it needs to come from her because um uh it's not easy uh there is a lot of ups and downs and I don't want to be the one to be playing for sure so uh but yeah so what's the next uh what's the next big big risk that you're going to take yeah I mean you're continuing to grow the business and you you've added the the Northeast uh sort of Kansas territory what's what's next for you guys you know we we've never known I've said me many times already that I'm kind of happy where I'm at and and and and I never keep it up so I always end up finding something very interesting and and and uh uh uh doing it so but my main plan is just I I want to keep enjoying what I do.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

Gotcha gotcha uh keep growing the business keep keep growing the business working on on the people aspect um you know um uh my goal is to uh build a place where people enjoys coming to work um uh to me that's a huge thing and uh we we work every day towards that in the people aspect and and refining our processes uh making it a uh a uh a better customer experience when they um when uh uh for our customers um so um there there's always a lot of work to to be done so let me ask this if you had an employee like yourself who went out and bought a uh piece of equipment are you gonna see them as competition or are you gonna say hey let me help you what would that be like yeah I think it'll be based on the sear on the circumstances yeah I will definitely not run out and fire him. Okay. Um actually we had that happen.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

We have that happening right now and uh we're just working it out or not um I think uh you know um when people have good intentions and uh and uh there is always um areas where you can kind of work with people and grow together instead of kind of getting carded in and ending the the the relationship what was the what was the greatest uh support that you had through this this this risk taking of of starting this business um you know you meant you mentioned your wife that she's probably the biggest support but aside from uh sort of your your your wife what was the where did the support come from from you know that that helped you to achieve you know what where you've gotten to today yeah you know I think being part of a system uh buying a franchise uh can be a little challenging there's a lot more work to do in the beginning and obviously it is more costly but um just going into a a and a structure and and being part of a system I think that was the second thing that had kind of helped me good. Well as we uh as we kind of look to to wrap up I think your story is an amazing story and I really appreciate you kind of uh sitting down with us and and sharing with us you know what you've done you know over the the course of the last 20 years because I think it's really um it's indicative of what um I feel like the the human spirit is right which is which is to take risks uh fulfill dreams you know and bring along with you the people that that help you get there if you had um you know to to to those that are listening or watching this what would you encourage them to do if they're thinking about taking a risk uh that has uh great potential what would you say to them you know I always say that behind the risk there is always reward you just got to work for it and find it. Gotcha well Raul thank you so much for your time today and we really appreciate you being a part of the calculated collective thank you appreciate it